A Second Proposal
by SCWLC
Summary: Hakoda receives the request for Katara's hand from Zuko. Sequel to my fic "Proposal". You have to read that to really get the backstory on this.


Title: A Second Proposal

Author: SCWLC

Disclaimer: Don't own A:tLAB. Never will.

Summary: Hakoda receives the request for Katara's hand from Zuko. Sequel to my fic "Proposal". You have to read that to really get the backstory on this.

Author's Notes: Okay, I want you all to understand that I really don't want Hakoda to be a villain, per se. He's come out of a highly patriarchal social milieu, and everything he sees goes through that lens. He loves his daughter, but because of his biases, he's missing the point. Yes, I expect some of you to want to scream at him, and feel free, but he's trying his best. His best is just deeply misinformed. Hopefully I've managed that balance.

Two other things, I visited a names web site, which indicated that Iseul is a name of Korean origin. So for anyone who might be wondering, this is not the Gallic name Iseult, and I am not referring in any way to the epic of _Tristan and Iseult_. The second of those things is that I am completely surprised I came up with this at all, and that the fics in this series are going to be a bunch of one-shots, rather than one long, concerted story. So they're not going to be posted together as chapters, because they aren't chapters.

* * *

Hakoda looked down again at the parchment in his hand.

_Honourable Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe,_

_I am writing to you on a matter of great importance and delicacy. Word may have reached you that my advisors and councillors are most determined that I should find a Consort to stand as the Fire Lady at my side. Their concerns, regarding the need for heirs to the throne in order to ensure stability and reassure my people of a smooth continuation of administration should disaster befall me._

_Unfortunately, as I have found no one within the Fire Nation suited to me, I have been forced to begin searching for a bride who is a more political choice than a personal one. _

_In an attempt to foster better relations between the Fire Nation and the other peoples of our world, I have chosen to search for a bride outside my nation's borders. By now, a wise man, such as you are, knows that I am writing you to request the hand of your daughter, Master Waterbender Katara, in marriage. I have several reasons to do so, not least of which being the closeness of the friendship I hold for her. If I cannot have the time and opportunity to find a match for love, I would hope to find a friend._

_However, it is more than merely that, as there are others I could call friend for this purpose. Your daughter is strong, wise, compassionate, and has shown the talents, and many of the skills needed for the Lady Consort of the Fire Lord. I know this from having seen her demonstrate the leadership and strength required throughout the time she travelled with Avatar Aang. Further, those same travels have given her a broader understanding of all the peoples of the three nations, which is sorely needed in the administration of my country._

_I realise that a bender of your daughter's skill will be sorely missed by your people, so in exchange, I am offering the following as bride-price:_

_A shipment of hardened steel tools, those that will neither warp in cold nor rust in water._

_Three years of shipments of the coal mined from the Western Islands._

_A shipment of arctic heating stoves to be fabricated in the Fire Nation and sent on to your tribe._

_I will also purchase, at 200 gold pieces per tusk, the excess ivory that I have been informed your people have accumulated, as a decorative luxury to be introduced to the Fire Nation._

_Finally, I have many soldiers who had become used to postings in the far North, and who cannot seem to find a place within our borders now that the war is over. With the losses your tribe has suffered in the war, I know you do not have as many warriors and hunters as you once did to support your people. I would offer you these soldiers as warriors and hunters in the stead of those you have lost, and in hopes that this will foster a greater understanding between our peoples. They will be stationed, under your authority, at the South Pole, to help in whatever capacity you deemed fit for a period of one year._

_Should you agree to this, all negotiations are to be completed with Admiral Iseul, who is to be my agent in this matter, and has my full authority to act on my behalf in accepting and negotiating these terms._

_I hope these negotiations will arrive at a pleasing and honourable conclusion for all concerned._

_With greatest respect to you and your people, Honourable Chief Hakoda,_

_Fire Lord Zuko_

Hakoda had sent the admiral back to his ship, telling the man he needed some time to think over the offer. It was generous. All things the tribe sorely needed. There was so much to be done and so few to do it in the short time before the Antarctic winter set in. They did not have enough men to do the hunting, they did not have enough weapons to last through the winter months, there were many things they needed in trade before the routes closed and nothing trade with either.

He could also read between the lines, and knew that the last offer was not just for sheer labour, but the Fire Lord was clearly offering to find husbands for the many single women in the tribe who could not find husbands due to the shortage of men in the Tribes.

It was very generous. Too generous, really. He loved his daughter, truly, but she was not worth this to a man in the Fire Lord's position. That alone made him suspicious. Yes, his daughter was a bender, but playing in the water with the Avatar did not make her some great master of water.

What concerned him more were the Fire Lord's claims about his daughter's wisdom and skills as a leader. She had left leading the women up to her grandmother, and instead tried to insert herself into the men's discussions, as though she would know anything of hunting and leading a tribe. The constant flush on her face that had erupted as the men had complimented her prettiness had left Hakoda with no doubt she had simply been searching for more time with Ujarak.

It was a pity she had not been able to hold her temper with the man. He often wondered what had happened to anger her such that she would make as ridiculous a claim as that she had been raped. If it had been one of the other benders he would have given such a statement credence. But the simple fact was that anyone who made an advance on her she did not want only had to be blasted away. He had seen her do it often enough when she had first returned home.

It was as ridiculous as Sokka's claim to have invented the flying machines. His son was turning into a good man, but he had to start nipping these wild claims in the bud. If he did not, they might start claiming ridiculous things like having personally seen the Avatar Roku.

Worst, was that Katara didn't seem to have admitted to herself that she had made a mistake. He could still recall being interrupted by Kanna and his own mother when he and Kya had nearly gone too far before they married. If only Katara had had the self-control to keep from falling for Ujarak's charms, instead of lying about it. It all just went to show a lack of maturity on her part that made it very difficult to accept the Fire Lord's proposal. Although, the Fire Lord was a young man, the same age as Sokka. Perhaps she had been of greater maturity than he was to make the boy believe it to equate to true maturity.

"Dad?" Katara's soft voice came from behind him at the entrance to his igloo. He did wish she would move back home with him, but he knew that it was hard for her to live with all the warriors constantly coming through his home. While it was right that she was embarrassed by her actions, perhaps he needed to clamp down a little on their actions. She shouldn't have her mistakes constantly shoved in her face the way some had been doing. She _was_ a ruined woman, there was no doubt of that, but reminding her that she might never find a husband among the tribes was getting a little cruel. "You sent for me?"

Hakoda abruptly realised he'd left her waiting on permission to enter. "Sorry Katara, I was a little distracted. Please come in."

She folded her hands, never meeting his eyes and stared at the floor. Hakoda had to admit to some concern. Also to some relief. She was finally maturing into the woman she could be. The humility and restraint she had finally begun to show were lovely to see. "What did you need?" she asked.

"I received this letter from the Fire Lord," Hakoda said, and waited for a reply. He received none. After a long pause, he asked, "Don't you want to know what he had to say?"

"What did he have to say?" Katara asked, obediently.

The way she said it gave him pause. It was as though she was waiting to be told what she thought about it. Kya had never had that trouble and neither did Kanna. Particularly Kanna. _Perhaps,_ Hakoda thought, _she is still trying to learn how to walk that line between confidence and proper behaviour._ He shook away the sense of disquiet that had come to him more and more frequently of late. "He has offered us a very large bride price in exchange for your hand in marriage." When she didn't say anything, he elaborated. "He wants you to be Fire Lady."

Katara finally spoke, saying, "Are you going to tell him about . . . me?" she asked.

"What is there to tell?" Hakoda asked, "You were indiscreet, and then blamed your own indiscretion on Ujarak. I think it was unfair of him to repudiate you in the manner he did, but your own lack of care for your child gave him the right." He shook his head. "It is a pity Sokka was not truly ready for a hunt with only one partner." That had been disappointing. That his own son had lacked the judgment to keep safe and such a fine warrior of the Northern Tribe had been so grievously injured due to his son's carelessness.

His daughter visibly flinched at the brusque reminder, and Hakoda reminded himself she was just barely out of childhood. "I will mention that you were once married. It may be his people have an objection to him marrying a woman who is not still a maiden."

"I doubt Zuko would care," murmured Katara. It was soft enough that Hakoda had little doubt the words were not meant for his ears.

Nonetheless, looking at her sharply, Hakoda told her, "Fire Lord Zuko," he corrected his daughter. "If you are to marry him, you must be prepared to offer him the respect he would be due as your husband." He shook his head briefly. "But that is not what I wish to speak to you about. He has sent a highly generous bride price offer in exchange for your hand," he told her. "All things that we are greatly in need of and which could mean the difference between a good winter and a terrible one."

Chastened from his earlier rebuke, Katara seemed to have shrunk into herself. In spite of his desire for his daughter to understand her place so that she could finally be happy in it, Hakoda missed her childhood curiosity and inquisitive nature. Certainly, when he had looked in on the women's meetings about whatever they had meetings about, she seemed to have allowed herself to be relegated to the back. He was again reminded of the Fire Lord's apparent belief that his daughter was somehow a leader.

No matter. "Your grandmother left the Northern Tribe to avoid a marriage to a man she felt was unfit. I do not wish to force you into a marriage with a man who you feel nothing for. If you truly do not wish this, I will tell the Fire Lord that our people will find a way without the help of his bride price."

Katara just stood, staring at the floor, trembling slightly.

"This is your choice," Hakoda finally said. "As your . . . relationship with Ujarak was your choice. But I ask you to think of our tribe."

She looked up, and said, softly, "I'll do it. I'll marry Z- the Fire Lord. If he will have me after . . . everything."

Hakoda smiled and hugged her. She felt as pliant as a block of wood. He ignored it, saying, "The Fire Nation does not have the same concept of honour as we do, I am sure everything will be fine." The stiffness was most likely just the nervousness at having to leave the safety of everything she knew should all work out as was planned. "Would you ask Bato to send for Admiral Iseul?"

She nodded, and slipped quietly out. Hakoda sighed. Something was not right with his daughter. It was almost as though something were broken. He just could not for the life of him figure out what. It was like that time on the Fire Nation ship after Ba Sing Se had fallen and she was so angry with him.

They had worked that out, they would work this out too. As long as she would swallow her pride and admit to the mistakes that were eating at her.


End file.
